


Home is Where the Heart is

by CynicalMistrust



Series: Putting the Pieces Back in Their Places [5]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet Ending, F/M, Healing, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:55:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28868877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynicalMistrust/pseuds/CynicalMistrust
Summary: "Are you two going to sleep all day?" Riku asked, moving his hand to run his fingers through Sora's hair."Not asleep," Sora murmured, at the same time Kairi said, "Yes."Riku snorted. "I forgot how lazy you two can be, given half a chance."
Relationships: Aqua/Terra (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi/Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Putting the Pieces Back in Their Places [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1287170
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Home is Where the Heart is

Sora breathed in deep as he listened to the waves gently cresting and breaking against the shore. The sun was warm on his face and the sand hot between his fingers where he'd had them buried for the last… long time. Kairi had her head on Sora's stomach, and Sora's head rested on Riku's thigh. Riku's hand was settled on Sora's chest, and none of them commented on how Riku had developed a habit of touching Sora over his heart. 

It wasn't like Sora minded. Even if he did, he certainly wouldn't say anything. After everything he'd put both Kairi and Riku through the last couple of years, he had no right to complain when they were just reassuring themselves that he was there. 

The constant contact was something he needed. Sometimes, he felt like he was on the verge of slipping away. Like he'd break apart and disappear into nothingness if someone wasn't holding onto him. Grounding him in the here and now. 

He turned his head enough to press his face into Riku's stomach, digging his fingers further into the sand as his other hand tangled in Kairi's hair. 

He was home. He was back where he belonged. 

The Heartless were still out there, but the worlds were safe for the time being. His journey was, at the very least, on pause. He finally had Riku and Kairi both within arm's reach and he had no intention of letting either of them out of his sight for a while. If something did come up, there were six other Keyblade wielders who could handle it. 

"Are you two going to sleep all day?" Riku asked, moving his hand to run his fingers through Sora's hair. 

"Not asleep," Sora murmured, at the same time Kairi said, "Yes." 

Riku snorted. "I forgot how lazy you two can be, given half a chance." 

"You're one to talk," Kairi replied, rolling over and squishing Sora as she stretched out on top of him. "You slept until noon yesterday," she added, ignoring Sora's grunt of protest. 

"I was up late." 

"Oh? Doing what, hmmm?" 

"Talking with Vanitas." 

"Oooh, what about?" 

Sora cracked his eyes open when Riku coughed, looking up to see him turn his head away before shrugging. "He wanted more ideas on how to control darkness." 

Oh. Well, at least Vanitas was trying; he would have been worried for Ven otherwise. And if anyone could help with that, it would be Riku.

Sora hummed softly and closed his eyes again, content to listen to Riku and Kairi talking. 

He should have kept his eyes open. 

A moment later, he felt like he was being pulled away from himself. Drifting into a sea of darkness. Riku's and Kairi's voices echoed around him, becoming distorted and faint, but no matter how hard he tried to reach out to them, he couldn't bring them close again. 

A small, tiny part of him said this was for the best. Riku and Kairi were together. They'd be able to live and be happy without him always screwing things up. 

Maybe they'd never even been real to begin with. Maybe this was all just a dream, and he'd never been found. Or maybe he'd dreamed them both up on the Islands. Everything they'd done together was all in his head. Stuff he'd made up to keep himself company. 

He gave up trying to fight his way back to himself as exhaustion swept through him. He was _so_ tired. 

He just wanted to sleep. Figuring out what was real could wait a bit.

When he opened his eyes again, he was in bed. 

Exhaustion still clung to him, but he fought through it enough to sit up. 

He knew this bed. It was the room he'd been sharing with Riku and Kairi in Radiant Gardens. Wasn't it? 

The bed beside him was cold and there was no sign of either of them. 

He slid out of bed, struggling to breathe through the dread squeezing his chest. 

If they were gone…

If they'd never existed in the first place… 

He stretched his hand out, only mildly relieved when the Keyblade answered his call. He let out a slow breath, let it fade, and headed out of the room. 

The castle was dark and quiet and he moved as silently as possible. He wasn't sure what he was hoping to find in the middle of the night. Maybe nothing. All he knew was he needed some fresh air before the doubt and fear swallowed him whole. 

He didn't pay much attention to where his feet took him until he was standing outside, staring up at a dark sky and bright moon. 

His feet were cold. When he looked down, he realized he wasn't wearing shoes, and he didn't recognize the clothes he had on. 

That might have concerned him, if he hadn't already confirmed he still had the Keyblade. 

"Sora?" He turned to find Aqua sitting on a nearby ledge. "You okay?" 

"Uh." His first instinct was to say he was fine so he wouldn't worry her, but he was standing barefoot in the middle of town, in the middle of the night, and he wasn't even sure what was real anymore. 

His memories had been torn to pieces and put back together enough times, how could he ever know for sure? 

Something must have shown on his face, because Aqua stood and hurried over. "Hey, it's okay." She stopped in front of him and held her hand out. 

Sora looked at her hand a moment before tentatively placing his own in it, letting her tug him closer. He blinked as strong arms wrapped around him, relaxing into Aqua's warmth. 

This was real. 

Aqua was real. 

He closed his eyes, breathing in the clean scent of soap and vanilla. 

"Thanks," he murmured after a long moment, stepping back to look at her. He wanted to ask if she knew where Riku and Kairi were, but he was afraid of the answer right then. Instead, he asked, "What're you doing out here so late?" 

Aqua tilted her head, fluffing the spikes of Sora's hair with a faint smile. "Couldn't sleep. You?" 

"I… woke up alone…" he said quietly. "Last thing I remember is being on the Islands." He risked a look up when she didn't say anything, dread weighing heavy in his chest again at the concerned look on Aqua's face. 

"Have you been losing track of time?" she asked softly. 

Sora shrugged, looking away and scratching at his cheek. He was used to losing time. He'd lost an entire year to sleep. And after being lost to darkness… "A little, I guess." 

Aqua sighed and stepped back. "Me too." 

He looked up in surprise, following when she went back to the ledge to sit and settling beside her. He'd wandered further than he thought; he recognized the Bailey and the little nook with a view. 

"Feels funny, doesn't it?" she asked, resting her hands beside her and leaning forward. "Like you're not really in control of your own life." 

"Yeah," Sora whispered, sitting sideways with his back to the wall. He pulled a knee up to wrap his arms around, letting the other foot dangle over the edge. "I feel like I can't even tell what's real anymore." 

Aqua hummed. "Sometimes I wonder if it matters. Knowing what's real and what's just a dream." 

"Of course it matters," Sora said. "I don't want to live in a dream." He didn't want to learn that all his friends were in his head. That everything had been for nothing. 

What was the point in saving the worlds of he didn't have anyone to share it with? 

He swallowed hard and curled his fingers into fists against his leg. "Riku… and Kairi?" he asked softly, unable to hold back anymore. He had to know. 

"They went to see the King."

Sora let out an explosive breath and sagged against the wall. 

They were real. And, more importantly, they were alive and well and would be back soon. 

Aqua glanced at him with a faint smile. "They were worried about you. Said you weren't really acting like yourself. They went to see if the King could give them any advice." 

"Oh." 

"You wanna talk about it?" 

Sora shook his head at the same time as he shrugged. "I dunno." He sighed and tipped his head back against the wall, looking up at the moon. It reminded him a bit of Kingdom Hearts, all big and bright in the middle of the sky. "Ever feel like… you're losing yourself?"

"All the time."

Sora smiled briefly, wishing that made him feel better, but he wouldn't wish this on anyone. "I just kinda… was there with them, and then… faded away. And then I woke up here." 

"You looked a bit distant when you got here, but I didn't really think much of it until you didn't say anything at dinner." Aqua turned to sit sideways, facing him and lightly bumping her foot against Sora's. "Terra says I'll sometimes look like I'm far away. I'll answer direct questions, but I don't really remember the conversations later." 

She sighed and pulled her knee up, mirroring Sora's pose. "I have a lot of nightmares, too," she added softly. "Being lost in the darkness so long… I went numb in a lot of ways. Most of the time, none of this feels real anymore." 

"How do you know what _is_ real?" Sora whispered. 

Aqua shrugged. "I have to believe…" She turned her head to look out at the town. "I gave up everything to rescue Terra, to keep him from suffering the same fate I did, but… maybe I condemned him to an even worse one. So I have to believe this is real, because at least here, now, everyone is safe. If this isn't real…" 

The alternative was unbearable. 

Something like determination flickered in his chest. Even if this wasn't real, if it was all just a dream to make living more bearable, he'd find a way to _make_ it real _._

But that thought alone exhausted him. 

He'd been trying to make things right ever since the Islands were overrun by Heartless and his home was ripped to pieces. 

When would fixing everything be over? When could he finally say enough was enough? 

What was the point in fighting when in the end there were no tangible rewards? 

"This is real," Sora whispered. He'd believe. He had to. 

"Damn right it is." 

They fell silent, watching the moon's path across the sky, until sunrise brightened the horizon. Then they headed back to the castle and made breakfast for everyone. By the time they'd finished eating, Riku and Kairi finally returned. 

Sora made his way to them and wrapped his arms around Kairi, pulling her into a tight hug. 

"Sora?" she asked, voice muffled against his neck. 

Sora's entire being let out a deep sigh of relief. They were real. They were real and warm and _alive_ and _here._ "Welcome back," he whispered, looking up at Riku and reaching out to grab the front of his shirt with one hand. 

Riku obliged and moved closer, pulling them both into his own hug. "Same to you," he said, burying a hand in Sora's hair. "Feeling better?" 

Sora sighed and leaned into Riku, pressing his face into Kairi's hair. He breathed in the familiar scent of her coconut shampoo, letting it curl through his lungs and wrap around him in a grounding cocoon. "Yeah." 

He doubted that was the last time he'd… drift, or the last time he'd wonder if this was all real or just a dream, but… For the moment, he _knew_. There was no faking the warmth of their bodies against his own, or the steady puffs of breath in his hair and on his neck. 

He tilted his head to nuzzle against Riku's chest. "Yeah," he said again. "I'm home."


End file.
